Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1887-02-11
DISASTER

THE DREADFUL FATE OF A CENTRAL
VERMONT TRAIN AT HARTFORD-DE-
TAILS OF THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
OF SURVIVORS.
One of the worst railroad accidents that
ever occurred in New England. or, with
one or two exceptions, on this continent,
befell a train on the main line of the
Central Vermont railroad near White
River Junction about 2 10 o'clock Satur
day morning. The remains of 32 per-
sons have been recovered. 36 were in
iured and not over half dozen of the
passengers escaped. The exact number
killed will probably never be known, as
the cars caught fire and were burned to
ashes, thus destroying the bodies of those
left in the cars.
SCENE OF THE CASUALTY.
The Woodstock bridge, from which the
train was thrown headlong on Saturday
morning, and which was burned with the
cars, used to span the shallow, turgid
White River. about four miles above its
junction with the Connecticut river.
The stream here spreads itself into a
tranquil piece of water some $50 feet
wide, running between the hill slopes
that break off abruptly near at hand on
each side. The Vermont Central trails
along the west bank from White River
junction up, hiding its rows of telegraph
poles for the most part in cut back
some distance from the banks. AT Wood
stock it turns sharply, crossing the river
on the long bridge, resting on three stone
piers, some sixty feet in the air. The
location is in the town of Hartford. and
about three miles from the nearest village
of White River, which is one mile from
the junction.
THE ILL-FATED TRAIN.
The Montreal night express north when
it leaves White River Junction is made
up of cars which have come from Boston
via the Lowell road and from New York
via Springfield Saturday morning the
train consisted of the locomotive. bag
gage car, mail and smoking combination
car. two passenger coaches and the Pull
man sleepers Pilgrim from Boston and
the st. Adams from Springfield, all in
the order named. Smith Sturtevant of
st. Adams was the conductor.
THE TRAINS FEARFUL LEAP.
At spot about 20 rods south of the
bridge occurred the mishap which culmi-
mated in a great disaster. The trucks of
the last sleeping car suddenly left the
track. Just what caused it is not quite ev.
ident, though it is pretty clear that it was
rear sleeper. At all events the real
sleeper was thrown off the track. and il
bumped along over the ties uutil the
bridge was reached. just as the bridge
was reached the rear end of the cal
swung off the edge. The impetus of the
train still moved ii forward. but the deaC
weight of the unsupported car, as it hung
over the abyss more than fifty feet deep
dragged it irresistibly downward. One
man, and only one, watched the awfu
catastrophe which followed. Just before
the derailed car reached the bridge some
one pulled the bell rope. The instant tht
signal was given Engineer Pierce shu
off steam with one hand, while he Leaned
out of the cab window to see if he cOul(
discover the cause of the alarm. He saw
his last car tumbling over the side of thu
bridge. Another and another and anOth
) er were dragged after it, The couplings
proved far too strong, for not till thu
weight of four cars was added to th'
strain did one of them break and leav,
the two forward cars and locomotive up
on the rails. The four cars that went of
dropped to the hard frozen river below
with terrific crash and lay in shape
less mass upon the ice.
The Mortified engineer quickly brough
his locomotive to IA standstill. Calling
his fireman, he seized an axe and botl
men slid down the steep embankment OF
the north side of the river and hurried
to the wreck. Even before they reached
it the supreme horror of fire was adde,
to the situation. The flames seemed t,
appear first in the wreck of the seconC
passenger coach. When they reached
: the wreck only one of the imprisoned
passengers had succeeded IN eXtrcatin.
himself. He was half-naked man VIII,
crawled from broken window in tn,
, Boston sleeper. A moment later Brake
man Parker, who had leaped from tn,
deTailed train before it took its awfu
plunge, hurried up. The engineer in
stantly dispatched the brakeman to alarm
the neighborhood, while he and his TIVE
assistants began the work of rescue
: The opportunity given them was appal
lingly brief, for already flames had ap
peared in the wreck of all the cars. ant
; wara spraadinu ra pidlv IN all partc Of tb.